Good News! Now IIT Kharagpur B.Tech course in just 3.5 years!

This is a great news for all the engineering aspirants across the country. A new ‘credit-based system’ is going to be employed by IIT Kharagpur, which would allow students the flexibility to complete a 4-year B. Tech course in three and a half years. The Director of IIT Kharagpur, Partha Pratim Chakrabarti told the media, “For each course there would be pre- specified credit which allows a student the flexibility to complete his course at his own pace. The fast- paced students can finish off 6 months earlier while those who want to go for year- long internship can go in between and come back to finish the course later on.”

This credit system is a part of an academic review to modernise the institute’s undergraduate and postgraduate courses. It would be introduced in phases from 2016, said Chakrabarti. The Dean of undergraduate studies, Rajendra Singh, told PTI that if some B. Tech students need more time, then they would be given up to 8 years. On the other hand, a 5 year dual degree course can be completed in 7 years. The reason behind all this was explained by professors saying that this it has been noticed that many students were ‘bitten by the entrepreneurship bug’ during their course and they needed time to launch their start- ups. Thus it is a well thought-after decision.

“The students can take a break from studies for their own venture. Some others want time for long internships to get industry exposure which increases their employability and adds to their qualification. Also, in some cases the learning process may just be little slow. This new system will have room for everyone.” explained Singh. And the decision was not made just like that. A team of professors of the institute studied the best practices in the top 20 universities of the world, which includes the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in the US and then devised the new credit- based system.

Today, every course in IITs is taught for a specified number of years, which is divided into 6 month long semesters. Once the new system is put in place the rigidity of completing the course in the specified period in IIT Kharagpur will be diluted. Srikumar Banerjee, the chairman of the board of governors, mentioned, “There will be some core-courses, specialisations, micro- specialisations and additional subjects from the management, humanities, and ethics. Chakrabarti further said, “IIT Kharagpur is also taking the lead in initiating mobility of students across all IITs. Each individual IIT has a centre of excellence which may not be the same in other IITs. Hence, the idea is to allow IIT students to spend a part of his course period in his chosen IIT.”

He added that the institute has already spoken to IITs in Kanpur, Mumbai, and Guwahati for such an exchange of students.